A moratorium issued last week by the Austin City Council gave city employees 120 days to finalize a draft ordinance concerning the construction of wind turbines within city limits.

It is an issue that three Austin residents find imperative to the process of becoming more energy independent.

Larry Dolphin, Mark Owens and Harry Stevens, all members of the Austin Coalition for Environmental Sustainability (ACES) and other environmental groups, including the Izaak Walton League and the Austin Audubon Society, all believe an ordinance allowing for turbines within city limits would be a good thing.

"We are looking to promote wind generation," said Owens.

If, in fact, the City Council does approve an ordinance allowing turbines within the city, they would be joining several other cities across the state, according to Rachel Carlson, a staff attorney for the League of Minnesota Cities.

Cities including Fergus Falls, Madison, Osakis, Plymouth and others all have ordinances pertaining to wind turbines within city limits.

Of the ordinances shared with the Post-Bulletin by the League of Minnesota Cities, Madison is the only city that "prohibits the construction of wind energy towers or windmills."

The reason for the prohibition, according to the documents, was: "It is in the public interest and contributes to the protection of the public's safety, health and welfare to prohibit the construction of wind energy towers or similar structures within the city of Madison."

Other city ordinances that allow turbines within city limits are stringent, requiring certain setbacks from property lines, neighboring structures, roadways, wetlands and other towers. Color, height, lighting and other aspects are also limited.

The towers proposed within Austin wouldn't be as large as the turbines along Interstate 90, and would they would only produce several kilowatts of power, compared to the several megawatts that the larger turbines can produce.

As of now, there is nothing included in any Austin city ordinance concerning wind towers Owens said.

Now with the city council involved, Dolphin, Owens and Stevens are hoping that will change.

"We are just promoting the answer to energy independence," said Stevens. "Energy independents."

Craig Byram, an Austin attorney, said that when drafting an ordinance, the city attorney usually looks to see what other cities have done, uses other ordinances for suggestions and models. The League of Minnesota Cities also provides model ordinances from time to time, Byram said.

For more information, visit Postbulletin.com/weblinks.

ACES http://co.net/aces

Austin Chapter 10 Izaak Walton League http://www.austinikes.org

The Austin Audubon Society http://moumn.org/clubs.austin-club.html